Appendix P Federally Listed Species and Sensitive Species

1 INTRODUCTION

Bureau of Land Management (BLM) management activities promote the continued conservation of federally listed species and BLM identified sensitive species and the habitats on which they depend. The tables below display 1) federally listed plant, wildlife, and fish species 2) and BLM sensitive species. An evaluation of sensitive species is located in Appendix T. 2 FEDERALLY LISTED SPECIES AND THEIR HABITAT

Table P.1: Federally Listed Plant Species and Critical Habitat on the Tres Rios Field Office Plant Species Status Habitat Group Pagosa skyrocket Endangered with designated Mancos shale soils in mountain grasslands, (Ipomopsis polyantha) Critical Habitat mountain shrublands, and ponderosa pine stands Knowlton’s cactus Rolling, gravelly hillsides in pinyon-juniper Endangered (Pediocactus knowltonii) woodlands Mesa Verde cactus Sparsely vegetated badlands of the Fruitland and Threatened (Sclerocactus mesae-verde) Mancos Shale formations Schmoll’s milkvetch Candidate Dense pinyon-juniper woodlands (Astragalus schmolliae) Notes to Table P.1 There is one known population of Pagosa skyrocket on the TRFO. The USFWS has designated four Critical Habitat Units for Pagosa skyrocket; two are occupied, and two are unoccupied. One of the occupied Critical Habitat Units is on TRFO land.

There are no known populations of Knowlton’s cactus on the Tres Rios Field Office but there is suitable habitat on TRFO lands in Archuleta and La Plata Counties, Colorado.

There are no known populations of Mesa Verde cactus or Schmoll’s milkvetch on the TRFO, but there is suitable habitat for these species.

Table P.2: Federally Listed Terrestrial Wildlife Species on the Tres Rios Field Office Terrestrial Wildlife Species Status Habitat Group Canada lynx Threatened High-elevation conifer (Lynx Canadensis) Uncompahgre fritillary butterfly Endangered Alpine (Boloria acrocnema) Southwestern willow flycatcher Endangered Riparian (Empidonax traillii extimus) Mexican spotted owl Threatened Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine (Strix occidentalis lucida) Gunnison sage-grouse Proposed Endangered with Proposed Sagebrush shrublands (Centrocercus minimus) Critical Habitat North American wolverine (Gulo Alpine, and subalpine forests Proposed Threatened gulo) Notes to Table P.2 In March 2000, the Canada lynx was listed as a federally threatened species under the ESA. In March 2009, the USFWS revised the critical habitat designated for lynx to include approximately 39,000 square miles encompassing five critical habitat units in Maine, Minnesota, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, and Washington.

Appendix P - Federally Listed Species and Sensitive Species P-1 Tres Rios Field Office Approved Resource Management Plan

The planning area represents the southern edge of the historic range of the Canada lynx. Individual lynx, or population groups, have been extremely rare or absent within the planning area and across Colorado since the early 1900s. In 1999, the CPW initiated a lynx recovery program intended to augment any existing populations in the southern Rocky Mountains with transplants from Canada and Alaska. The augmentation program resulted in 218 lynx being transplanted into the San Juan Mountains between 1999 and 2006. From February 1999 to February 2005, 144 of the reintroduced lynx were detected in the planning area and 126 kittens were born in Colorado as of June 2009.

In the southern Rocky Mountains, high-elevation spruce-fir forests make up the primary habitat for lynx and its primary prey species, the snowshoe hare. There are approximately 15,000 acres of lynx habitat on BLM lands in the planning area.

Currently, there is no federal recovery plan published for this species. Canada lynx habitat is managed according to the Canada Lynx Conservation Agreement, which was signed by the USFS, BLM, and USFWS in the spring of 2000 (USFS and USFWS 2000, updated 2013). Under that agreement, the land management agencies agreed to consider the recommendations contained in the LCAS in order to help guide planning activities and ESA Section 7 consultation. These guiding documents include habitat definitions, recommended analysis methods, and conservation measures, goals, objectives, standards, and guidelines intended to help provide a consistent approach to conserve Canada lynx in the conterminous United States.

The Mexican spotted owl is one of three subspecies of spotted owl in North America. In March 1993, the Mexican subspecies was listed as a federally threatened species under the ESA. The proposed rule to designate critical habitat for the Mexican spotted owl was completed by the USFWS in February 2001. That proposal included 4.6 million acres across Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. The 2001 proposal was considered inadequate by the courts in October 2003, and a new final rule to designate critical habitat was published in August 2004. The 2004 rule included 8.6 million acres across federal lands in Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. Approximately 322,326 acres (approximately 3.7%) of this land occurs in Colorado. The planning area was not included in the 2001 or the 2004 critical habitat designations.

There have been numerous Mexican spotted owl surveys conducted across the TRFO since the late 1980s. There have been no Mexican spotted owl detections on BLM lands in the planning area. Nesting has been documented in Mesa Verde National Park, but no owls have been located outside the park on adjacent BLM-administered lands. The occurrence of Mexican spotted owl within the planning area appears to be irregular and uncommon, and similar to other locations in Colorado where apparently suitable habitat remains unoccupied.

Mexican spotted owl habitat in the planning area occurs mostly in steep, narrow, rocky canyons that are rarely subject to management activities; therefore, habitat has been minimally affected by management actions. Habitat present across most areas has been influenced by insects, disease, and wildfire. These disturbance processes have reduced habitat quality over the last 20 years. Management activities (mechanical fuels reduction, prescribed fire, forest restoration projects) have been completed in some locations to help restore habitat conditions and reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire. Management of Mexican spotted owl habitat across the planning area has been consistent with the current recovery plan, and would continue as that recovery plan is updated. Continued inventory and monitoring of suitable habitat and maintenance of occupied habitat would be the primary conservation measures that the TRFO would use in order to aid in the recovery of the species.

The Southwestern willow flycatcher is one of four or five recognized subspecies of the willow flycatcher (Sedgwick 2001). In March 1995, the southwestern willow flycatcher was listed as a federally endangered species under the ESA. The proposed rule to designate critical habitat for the southwestern willow flycatcher was completed in October 2004. The proposal included 1,556 floodplain miles in California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico as critical habitat within the 100-year floodplain or flood-prone areas. The proposal also identified the essential stream and lake edge habitats thought to be essential for conserving the species (USFWS 2004). There is no designated critical habitat for the southwestern willow flycatcher in the planning area.

P-2 Appendix P - Federally Listed Species and Sensitive Species

There are no confirmed breeding populations of southwestern willow flycatcher in the planning area.

In summary, the current information suggests that the planning area does not measurably contribute to the recovery or overall viability of the southwestern willow flycatcher. The possibility of future individual breeding pairs, however, cannot be discounted as the recovery of the subspecies expands. Continued monitoring of suitable and occupied habitats would continue to utilize the USFWS protocol. Management of southwestern willow flycatcher habitat across the planning area has been consistent with the current Southwestern Willow Flycatcher Recovery Plan (USFWS 2002) and would continue as the recovery plan is updated. Continued inventory and monitoring of suitable habitat and maintenance of occupied habitats would occur in order to aid in the recovery of the species.

The Uncompahgre fritillary butterfly was discovered in 1978 and described as a new species in 1980. In 1991, it was listed as a federally endangered species. The Uncompahgre fritillary butterfly has the smallest range of any North American butterfly and is restricted to alpine, snow willow habitats within a small geographical area in the San Juan Mountains and southern Sawatch Range in southwest Colorado. Suitable habitat in the planning area occurs on BLM-administered lands.

Suitable habitat for the Uncompahgre fritillary butterfly is restricted to topographic features that rarely occur in the planning area. Suitable habitat consists of snow willow above 13,000 feet on north, northeast, and east aspects. Snow willow serves as the host plant for the eggs and larvae of the Uncompahgre fritillary butterfly. Most of the snow willow patches in the planning area do not support the vegetative characteristics of occupied sites found on neighboring forests (may be related to soil and moisture factors).

Since 1983, the number of known Uncompahgre fritillary butterfly colonies across the species range has increased (as more extensive surveys have been initiated). Currently, the species is known, or suspected, to occur at 12 sites, all of which contain various numbers of population clusters. After at least 9 years of intensive inventory, all probable locations for finding additional Uncompahgre fritillary butterfly colonies are nearly exhausted. There are no additional priority sites to survey within the planning area that may possibly support the species.

The Uncompahgre fritillary butterfly was not known to occur in the planning area until 2004, when a small habitat patch associated with an existing colony was discovered on SJNF lands. There are no threats identified for this colony (due to its remoteness), and habitat has remained stable. Current monitoring shows the population is persistent, and the entire colony currently remains one of the most extensive of the known populations (Ellingson 2003).

Currently, there are enough known colonies of sufficient size to down-list the Uncompahgre fritillary butterfly. However, the down-listing criteria calls for 10 stable colonies for a period of 10 years, and not enough colonies have been known for the time specified. There is also a need for more long-term monitoring in order to determine population changes over time. Due to their seclusion, there are few, if any, immediate risks or management issues associated with the colonies. Continued monitoring and confidentiality of colony locations are the primary conservation measures pursued for the species.

The Gunnison sage-grouse is proposed for listing as endangered under the ESA, and critical habitat has been proposed in the planning area.

Gunnison sage-grouse currently occupy a small fraction of their historical range and have been extirpated from much of their presumed historical distribution due to habitat conversion (Gunnison Sage-grouse Rangewide Steering Committee 2005). Although their distribution was probably always somewhat fragmented, the amount of fragmentation has greatly increased due to habitat loss. As of 2004, the total population of this species was estimated at approximately 3,200 breeding birds in seven populations (75% of which occurred in the Gunnison Basin). In 2011 CPW estimated Gunnison sage-grouse populations to be 4,155 breeding birds. The Gunnison sage-grouse remains a species of conservation interest in this planning process because two small populations (Dove Creek and San Miguel) occur on lands administered by the TRFO and because of continued habitat and population viability concerns. The Dove Creek and San Miguel populations are not thought to contribute to the overall viability of Gunnison

Appendix P - Federally Listed Species and Sensitive Species P-3 Tres Rios Field Office Approved Resource Management Plan sage-grouse range wide. Dove Creek supports 1.4% of the total Gunnison sage-grouse population and San Miguel supports 2.2% of the total population.

There are many threats and challenges associated with the management and continued persistence of Gunnison sage-grouse. The primary threat, however, is the permanent loss, and the associated fragmentation, of sagebrush (Gunnison Sage-grouse Rangewide Steering Committee 2005). These threats are amplified by land ownership patterns, especially where the risk of urban expansion and/or habitat conversion is high. Currently, the majority of the occupied habitat occurs on private land; therefore, the amount of conservation benefit provided by lands administered by the TRFO would be minimal for these subpopulations. In the Dove Creek area (41,284 acres), for example, private lands make up roughly 79% of the proposed occupied critical habitat, while BLM lands account for approximately 21%. The amount of TRFO-administered lands is even smaller for the Miramonte subpopulation, which covers approximately 6,782 acres of proposed occupied critical habitat (where BLM lands make up approximately 41% of the proposed occupied critical habitat). In the Dry Creek area proposed occupied critical habitat is approximately 61,823 acres; however, most (approximately 57%) of the occupied habitat occurs on BLM lands; therefore, the TRFO may have more of a management influence on the Dry Creek subpopulation. There is at least one known lek on BLM lands in the Dry Creek Basin. It is possible that leks in the basin exist that have not been identified. Lek sites do occur on adjacent private and state lands, and the habitats on BLM lands are important in providing nesting and brood-rearing habitat in conjunction with those lek sites.

In 2005, the Gunnison Sage-grouse Rangewide Conservation Plan (Gunnison Sage-grouse Rangewide Steering Committee 2005) was completed in order to supplement information in the local conservation plans and provide a range-wide perspective regarding the conservation of Gunnison sage-grouse. Conservation efforts for the Gunnison sage-grouse within the planning area would continue through the opportunities identified in these plans and through local partnerships, as opportunities arise.

On February 4, 2013, the USFWS published a proposed rule to list the distinct population segment (DPS) of the North American wolverine occurring in the 48 contiguous United States as a threatened species under the ESA (USFWS 2013b). The proposed rule did not propose any critical habitat for the species. The primary reason for the proposed listing was threats to habitat from global climate change. There are numerous historical records of wolverines from the Colorado Rocky Mountains. However, the species is believed to have been extirpated from the southern Rocky Mountains including Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming by the early 1900s. In May 2009 a radio-collared male wolverine was tracked from the Yellowstone ecosystem south into north-central Colorado, becoming the first confirmed wolverine occurrences in Colorado since 1919 (Inman et al. 2009).

Climate change has been projected to have the potential to reduce suitable wolverine habitat by 31% in the contiguous United States by the year 2045, and by 63% by 2099 (USFWS 2013b). Deep snow that persists into the month of May is essential for wolverine reproduction. Reproduction is the life-history parameter likely to be most sensitive to climate changes, but year-round wolverine habitat, not just denning habitat, is likely to be reduced due to the effects of climate change. Human activities, including dispersed recreation activities, infrastructure, and the presence of transportation corridors, occur in occupied wolverine habitat. The alpine and subalpine habitats preferred by wolverine, however, typically receive less human use than lower-elevation habitats. Land management activities such as timber harvest, prescribed fire, and silviculture can modify wolverine habitat, but this wide-ranging generalist species does not appear to be greatly affected by changes in vegetation. For these reasons, the USFWS (2013b) determined that “human activities and developments do not pose a current threat to wolverines in the contiguous United States” and forest management activities “would not significantly affect the conservation of the DPS.”

The TRFO is thought to provide a small amount of apparently suitable wolverine habitat, mostly in alpine and subalpine areas. Although the San Juan Mountains are at the southernmost extent of the known historic wolverine range (Aubry et al. 2007; USFWS 2013), the large area within the San Juan Mountains that is at relatively high elevation appears to provide an abundance of alpine habitats with late season snowfields that are central to wolverine ecology.

P-4 Appendix P - Federally Listed Species and Sensitive Species

Table P.3: Federally Listed Aquatic Species on the Tres Rios Field Office Fish Species Status Habitat Group Colorado pikeminnow Endangered Aquatic (Ptchocheilus lucius) Razorback sucker Endangered Aquatic (Xyrauchen texanus) Humpback chub Endangered Aquatic (Gila cypha) Bonytail chub Endangered Aquatic (Gila elegans) Greenback cutthroat trout Threatened Aquatic (Oncohrynchus clarkia stomias) Notes to Table P.3 Public land management activities that affect water depletions are implemented in compliance with the Section 7 Agreement and Recovery Implementation Program Action Plan (RIPRAP) (USFWS 1993) and San Juan Basin Recovery Implementation Program (USFWS 2003) for the four endangered fish species found in the Upper Colorado and San Juan river systems (Colorado pikeminnow, razorback sucker, humpback chub, and bonytail chub). 3 BLM SENSITIVE SPECIES

Table P.4: Bureau of Land Management Sensitive Wildlife Species and their Habitat Associations on the Tres Rios Field Office Sensitive Species Habitat Association or Vegetation Type Birds American bald eagle Forested stands around aquatic settings Haliaeetus americanus American bittern Marsh, swamp, or bog with cattails, rushes, grasses, and sedges Botaurus lentiginosus American peregrine falcon Breeds on cliffs, often in association with riparian areas; regular breeder Falco peregrinus anatum TRFO administrative unit Black swift Vertical rock faces near waterfalls or in dripping caves Cypseloides niger Brewer’s sparrow Primarily sagebrush but also in mixed shrublands (rabbitbrush, Spizella breweri greasewood, etc.) Oak/serviceberry shrublands, often interspersed with sagebrush; aspen Columbian sharp-tailed grouse forests; irrigated pasture; recently reintroduced near Dolores, not expected Pediocetes phasianellus columbianus for other units Ferruginous hawk Grasslands and semi-desert shrub; not known to breed but a regular Buteo regalis winter resident on TRFO administrative unit Gunnison Sage-grouse Sagebrush grasslands Centrocercus minimus Northern goshawk Ponderosa pine, aspen, mixed-conifer, and spruce-fir forests Accipiter gentiles Western burrowing owl Prairie dog colonies with vacant burrows; grasslands, shrublands, deserts Athene cunicularia Western yellow-billed cuckoo Riparian; gallery cottonwoods with dense understory Coccyzus americanus White-faced ibis Fresh water marshes, pond edges, irrigated land. Plegadis chihi

Appendix P - Federally Listed Species and Sensitive Species P-5 Tres Rios Field Office Approved Resource Management Plan

Sensitive Species Habitat Association or Vegetation Type Insects Great Basin silverspot butterfly (Nokomis fritillary butterfly) Riparian; mostly tied to springs Speyeria Nokomis nokomis Mammals Allen’s big-eared bat Big free-tailed bat Desert bighorn sheep Rocky canyons, grass, low shrub, open habitat with adjacent steep rocky Ovis Canadensis nelsoni areas for escape and safety Fringed myotis Pinyon-juniper and other coniferous woodlands Myotis thysanodes pahasapensis Gunnison’s prairie dog Grasslands and semidesert and montane shrublands Cynomys gunnisoni New Mexico meadow jumping mouse Mesic grass/forb/sedge riparian habitat Zapus hudsonius luteus North American wolverine Rare; boreal spruce-fir forest and tundra Gulo gulo Spotted bat Pinyon-juniper, shrub desert, possibly riparian Euderma maculatum Townsend’s big-eared bat Abandoned mines and caves Corynorhinus townsendii Amphibians Boreal toad Damp conditions; marshes, wet meadows, streams, ponds, lakes Bufo boreas boreas Canyon treefrog Northern leopard frog Water’s edge; wet meadows, banks of marshes and ponds Rana pipiens Reptiles Desert spiny lizard Longnose leopard lizard

Table P.5: Bureau of Land Management Sensitive Plant Species and their Habitat Associations on the Tres Rios Field Office Sensitive Plant Species Habitat Association or Veg Type Amsonia jonesii Pinyon-juniper woodlands and desert shrub in runoff-fed draws on (Jones’ bluestar) sandstone Astragalus naturitensis Pinyon-juniper woodlands (grows in the cracks of sandstone (Naturita milkvetch) bedrock, associated with biological soil crusts) Astragalus schmolliae* Mature pinyon-juniper woodlands on mesa tops in the Mesa Verde (Schmoll’s milkvetch) area Cryptogramma stelleri Riparian/wetlands (cliff crevices and seeps in calcareous soils) Erigeron kachinensis Riparian/wetland (saline soils in alcoves and seeps in desert canyon (Kachina daisy) walls) Eriogonum clavellatum Semi-desert shrublands with shadscale saltbrush, on shale soils (Comb Wash buckwheat) Gutierrezia elegans Pinyon-juniper, semi-desert shrubland, sagebrush (barren Mancos (Lone Mesa snakeweed) shale outcrops) Lesquerella pruinosa Mountain grasslands and mountain shrublands (soils derived from (frosty bladderpod) Mancos shale)

P-6 Appendix P - Federally Listed Species and Sensitive Species

Sensitive Plant Species Habitat Association or Veg Type Pinyon-juniper, semi-desert shrublands with shadscale, and Lygodesmia doloresensis sagebrush communities on reddish, purple, sandy alluvium and (Dolores river skeleton plant) colluvium of the Cutler Formation between the canyon walls and the Dolores river Mimulus eastwoodiae Riparian/wetland (shallow caves and seeps on canyon walls, (Eastwood’s monkeyflower) hanging gardens) Pediomelum aromaticum Semi-desert shrublands and sagebrush shrublands (aromatic Indian breadroot) Physaria pulvinata Pinyon-juniper, semi-desert shrubland, sagebrush (barren shale (cushion bladderpod) outcrops)

Table P.6: Bureau of Land Management Sensitive Fish Species and Their Habitat Associations on the Tres Rios Field Office Sensitive Species Habitat Association or Vegetation Type Fish Roundtail chub Tributaries of the Colorado and San Juan Rivers (Gila robusta) Bluehead sucker Tributaries of the Colorado and San Juan Rivers (Catostomus disobolus) Flannelmouth sucker Tributaries of the Colorado and San Juan Rivers (Catostomus latipinnis) Colorado River Cutthroat Trout Tributaries of the Colorado and San Juan Rivers (Oncorhynchus clarki pleuriticus)

Appendix P - Federally Listed Species and Sensitive Species P-7 Tres Rios Field Office Approved Resource Management Plan

4 REFERENCES

Aubry, K.B., K.S. McKelvey, and J.P. Copeland. 2007. Distribution and broadscale habitat relations of the wolverine in the contiguous United States. Journal of Wildlife Management 71:2147–2158.

Ellingson, A.R. 2003. Uncompahgre fritillary butterfly monitoring and Inventory: 2002 field report and recommendations. Unpublished report. Prepared for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Forest Service, and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Fort Collins, Colorado.

Inman, R.M., M.L. Pakila, K.H. Inman, B. Aber, R. Spence, and D. McCauley. 2009. Greater Yellowstone Wolverine Program, Progress Report—December 2009. Bozeman, Montana: Wildlife Conservation Society, North American Program.

Gunnison Sage-Grouse Rangewide Steering Committee. 2005. Gunnison Sage-Grouse Rangewide Conservation Plan. Denver: Colorado Division of Wildlife.

Ruediger, B., J. Claar, S. Gniadek, B. Holt, L. Lewis, S. Mighton, B. Naney, G. Patton, T. Rinaldi, J. Trick, A. Vandehey, F. Wahl, N. Warren, D. Wenger, and A. Williamson. 2000 [rev. 2006]. Canada Lynx Conservation Assessment and Strategy. Forest Service Publication R1-00-53. Missoula, Montana: U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management, and U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 1993. Upper Colorado Endangered Fish Recovery Program [Web Page]. Available at: http://www.coloradoriverrecovery.org/documents- publications/foundational-documents/RIPRAP/RIPRAP03-21-12.pdf Accessed May 8, 2012.

———. 1994. Uncompahgre Fritillary Butterfly Recovery Plan. Denver: U.S. Department of the Interior.

———. 1995. San Juan Basin Recovery Implementation Program. Albuquerque: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 2.

———. 2002 Southwestern Willow Flycatcher Recovery Plan. i-ix + 210 pp., Appendices A-O. Albuquerque.

———. 2003. San Juan River Basin Recovery Implementation Program. Program Highlights 2002-2003 [Web Page]. Available at: http://www.fws.gov/southwest/sjrip/pdf/20022003highlights.pdf. Accessed July 3, 2003.

———. 2004. Proposed designation of critical habitat for the southwestern willow flycatcher (Empidonax traillii extimus): Proposed Rule. Federal Register 69(196):60706.

———. 2013. Endangered and threatened wildlife and plants; Threatened status for the distinct population segment of the North American wolverine occurring in the contiguous United States; Establishment of a nonessential experimental population of the North American wolverine in Colorado, Wyoming, and New Mexico; Proposed Rules. Federal Register 78:7864–7890.

USDA Forest Service. 2009. Implementation Guide to the Southern Rockies Lynx Amendment (SRLA). Available at: http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r2/landmanagement/planning/?cid=stelprdb5356865. Accessed August 6, 2013.

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